"We have asked in-market car buyers how favorable they feel towards SUVs during negative media hype as well as amidst rising gas prices and surprisingly, favorability of the vehicles remained at high levels," said Rick Wainschel, Director of Marketing Research at Kelley Blue Book in a press release. "Favorability ratings toward SUVs increased 5% over last year."

This same sentiment is echoed in sales data of SUVs. The SUV segment has been the best-selling vehicle segment for some time. Sales of SUVs increased in February of this year over last year by more than 3,200 units.

Other results from the study:

The No. 1 concern among buyers considering an SUV as their next purchase was rollover issues (49%), with impact on foreign oil dependence ranking at the bottom of their concerns (19%).

Among those not considering an SUV, the issue of gas prices dropped as a main concern from 36% last year to 30% this year.

61% of all car-buyers (and 86% of considerers) rate SUVs favorably overall, up from 56% in 2003.

Development of hybrid SUVs has led 57% of potential buyers to "feel more favorable toward SUVs," up from 46% last year.

Kelley says that its New Vehicle-Buyer Attitude Study on SUVs was administered on the company's Web site www.kbb.com. Survey respondents include those considering buying an SUV as well as those that are not. The study was completed to determine the attitudes and views towards SUVs among consumers amidst record high U.S. gas prices.

Prices for many popular European vehicles are being driven up by the euro's persistent strength against the U.S. dollar, according to a story in The Wall Street Journal.

So far, though, the price increases are relatively modest compared to the euro's 16% overall surge in value against the dollar since March 2003.

But this month has raised prices on its U.S. models by an average of 1.2%. increased prices on its 330i six-cylinder model by $400 to $35,895 in January, and the base price for the U.S.-made BMW X5 sport-utility vehicle rose $500 to $41,495 including freight charges, the WSJ said, citing BMW and Edmunds.com, the online car-shopping service.

, the Swedish brand owned by General Motors, raised starting prices for its 9-3 and 9-5 models between $170 and $335, and increased prices for certain options, such as xenon headlights, 10%.

Prices on a six-cylinder BMW 330i increased $400 in January. A Mercedes C240 four-door sedan is up 9% from last year.

The price increases, while small, could put European carmakers under growing competitive pressure, the story said, because the Japanese luxury car brands such as Infiniti, Acura and Lexus, America's best-selling luxury brand, are holding the price line even though the yen has strengthened against the dollar during the past year. For example, the $30,690 base price for an Infiniti G35 sedan with leather seats — a rival to the BMW 3 Series, the Audi A4 and the Mercedes C-class — hasn't changed since last August, according to Edmunds.com.